Drier.



G. E. GEIGER.

DRIER. APPLIOATIOH 11.31) 11110.3,1908.

' Patented Nov. 16,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.-

a. E GEIGER.

DR ER. APPLICATION I'IL'ED DEG. 3 ,'1'90B.

Patented Nov. 16,1909.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

TlllllllLll WITNESSES.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALL OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

.dmnnns 1:. Galena, or LoUIsVILLE', KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOIB or ONE-THIRD 'ro nxmsnmr, ONE-THIRD 'ro WILLIAM E. x002, AND ONE-THIRD 'ro G. WALKER FISKE;

DRIER.

Patented Nov. 1 1909.

Application filed December 8, 1908. Serial No. 485,779.

12; all whomit may concern;

Be it known that I, CnARLEs E. Gmonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefi'erson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

-The purpose of this invention is to proadapted fruits, sand and the like.

It consists in the features of construction shown and described as indicated in vthe claims. i

In the drawings :Figure 1 is'an end elevation of a drier embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section at the line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section at the line on Fig. 2. Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification. Fig. 5.is a similar view showing an additional modification.

.The structure illustrated in these views comprises two opposite chambered heads, 1' and 2, which are connected by horizontal pipes, 3, arranged in two parallel tiers or columns. These heads form two ends of the casing, of which the bottom is formed by a trou h, 4, a top, 5, bein also provided, whic 1 is longitudinally rifted at 6, and above the rift there is mounted a spiral conveyer, 7, into which the material to be treated is delivered and by which it is distributed longitudinally of the drier casing for delivcry in a stream or shower extending over the entire length of the same. Immediately below the discharge rift of. this conveyor, which is directly abovea line between the two tiers or columns of'pi-pes, 3, there is an inverted V-shaped deflector, 6, for parting the descending stream of material and defleeting the parts to the opposite outer sides of the two tiers of pipes, 3. This deflector, 6, may form a part of a complete jacket, 8, inclosing both tiers of pipes and defining a heating chamber in which such pipes are the heating element. This jacket: is made of perforated sheet metal so as to permit comparatively'free but somewhat restricted communication from the space within to the space without,-that is, from the heating compartment to the a drying compartment.

I The outer side walls of the structure refer- 'be dried as it descends within the drying chamber, and which 'form between them assages for the escape of vapor and air trom the materiaL- Below the two tiers of pipes,

3, a pipe,'l0, extends parallel to them leading from a fan or blower, 11, located outside the inclosed structure. This ipe, 10, is perforated on the upper side for ischarge of the air upward between the two tiers of pipes, 3. In order to cause the air to circulate most thoroughly around and between the pipes there is preferably located in the interval between each four pipes, two in each tier, a V-shaped deflector, 13. These deflectors are supported at the ends by the headers, l and 2, and are spaced away from all four of the pipes between whichthey are located respectively, so that the air can pass above as well as below them in circulating past the pipes. The material to be treated, when delivered through the rift, 6, and parted into two streams passing down at opposite sides of the heating compartment, being in some cases quite moist, is preferabl exposed-to the action of stirrers, 14., whie 'extend longitudinally parallel with the pipes, 3, and are rotated vertically for keeping the material agitated and preventing it from becoming massed together. The slats or deflecting plates, 9, tend to cause the material as it descends to drift inward toward the fpipes, 3, and in the absence of any means to prevent such result, the entire mass would tend to move down along the wall of the jacket, 8, with the result that the outer portion would be less dried than the inner portion. To prevent such result and insure equal drying of all parts of the material, alternate stirrers, 14, are rotated in, opposite directions, so that, for example, the first stirrer tends'to carry the material outward on to the upper deflecting plate, 9, by which it is directed inward over the second stirrer which rotates inwardly at the upper side and carries it farther inward against the jacket, and at its lower side tends to carry it outward. wardly at its upper side, the second and third stirrers together thus causing the material to be carried away from the jacket outwardly and delivered on to one of the de- The third stirrer rotates outfleeting plates or slats, 9, by which it is. again directed inward against the jacket. Any number of stirrers may be employed distributed throughout the height of the structure, commencing at the upper part as shown, but for many materials it would not be necessary to continue them more than one-third of the way down the structure, because by the time the-material has been exposed to the drying action for that distance, it will be sufficiently dry to be no longer adhesive to an extent creatingliability to massing. In Figs. 1 and 2, therefore, only three stirrers on eachside are shown at the upper part of the structure. In order that the material may (be controlled in its descent through the-drying chamber and so retained in it long enough for complete drying, the

dischar e therefrom at the lower end is con-. trolled y means of a. rotary valve, 16, which by its blades, 16, substantially bars the assage or throat=way between the lowest 0 the pipes, 3, and the trough or converging bottom, 4, permitting the material to pass as it is carried in the apex or intervals between consecutive blades, and thus delivering it in measured quantities at a rate determined by the rate of rotation of said valve device. Upon passing these rotary valves, the mate rial is received in the lower part of the trough bottom, 4, directly under the pipe,

10. In this lower part of the trough, thereis mounted a screw conveyer, 17, by which the material is fed longitudinally of the troughfor delivery at one end thereof.

For rotating the two conveyer' screws, 7 and 17 the stirrers, 14, and the valves, 16, the shaft of the spiral, 7 carries at one end outsidethe chamber fast and loose pulleys,

18, l8, for receiving power by belt, andat the. opposite end outside the chamber there is fast on the shafta sprocket wheel, 1.9,

which drives a chain, 20, passing about gears, 21, on the ends of the stirrer shafts, 14, the chain being zigzagged around the gears, as shown in Fig. 1, to give alternate stirrers each side opposite rotation as described. On the shaft there is mounted an other fixed sprocket wheel, 22, from which a chain,, 23, passes about a sprocket wheel, 24, on the corresponding end of the shaft of the feed screw, 17, of the discharge conveyer. For rotating the two rotary valves, 16, there is mounted on the shaft, 7, between the two sprocket wheels, 19 and 22, an eccentric, 25, from whose outer element 25*, a connecting rod, '26, extends to the ever arm, 27, mounted for rocking about the axis of one of the rotary valves, 1'6, and having connected with it a pawl, 28, for engaging a ratchet disk, 29, on the shaft of said valve. On the same shaft there is a sprocketwheel, 30, and on the shaft of the other valve, 16, a similar sprocket wheel, 30, whichsaid similar sprocket wheels are connected by a chain,

movement.

31, 4 giving them equal. and simultaneous The rate of feed'efiected b the rotation of the valve is regulated by ad iusting the end of the connecting 'rod, 26, in the slot, 27, of the lever, 27, to vary the stroke of the awl'. a

In Fig. 4: there is illustrated a slight modification consisting in dispensing with the jacket, 8, for inclosing the heating chamber and substituting for a similar purpose perforated diaphragm strips, 8, interposed between the consecutive'pipes of each tier, so that with the pipes these partitions make an inclosing but apertured wall of a heating chamber. The chief difference of result which follows this change of structure is that in the structure shown in Fig. 4, the pipes on, their outer side are directly exposed to the material to be dried and radiate heat somewhat more ra idly thereto, causing the drying to procee faster at the earlier stages. One form will be preferable for some substances and the other form for others.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a further modification which consists in omitting the lower group or section of pipes, 3, leaving the lower .part of the chamber occupied by the heating pipes vacant and devoid of a. heatin means, so that the air delivered throng I the pipe,.10,, into that chamber is not immediately heated, but is adapted to operate for cooling the grain through which it is discharged at the lower part of the chamber before it reaches the lowest of the heating pipes. This is desirable in using a drier of this character for drying whole grain, which must be well cooled before it will be in condition for storage.

I claim l. A drier having, in combination, a heating element conslsting of a pipe system through which the heating medium is supplied, the pipes of the system being disposed and connected to form between them a passage for a. dr ing element; a drying chamber within w iich such heating element is contained, having means for controlling the advance through it of the material treated; means for discharging a drying medium within the material in the drying chamber at distributed points in its height,

. throu g in medium from bet .e heating compartcirculation of a (1 low upward throng ment, said compartment having limited co.m'

tributed throughout their height.

3. In a drier having, in combination, a heatin element comprising a me system plied, the pipes of the system being disposed and connected to form between-them a passage for a drying element' a drying chamber within which such heatiiig element is contained, provided at its upper end with an inlet for the material to be treated and at its lower end with a discharge passage; a valve device for controlling the discharge I ofthe material throdgh such passage; means for discharging a rying medium within the material in the chamber at distributed points in its height, and means for permitting the escape of air from said chamber at distributed points in the height of the latter.

4. A drier having, in combination, a heating element consisting of a pipe system through which the heating medium is sup-" plied, the pipes of the system being disposed and connected to form between them a passage for a drying element;a drying chamber Within which such heating element is contained, provided at its upper end with an inlet andat its lower end with a. dis- ,char e passage for the material; means'for supp ying a drying medium to said passage between the system of pipes, the disposition and connection between said pipes being such as to permit the discharge of the drying medium from said passage into the dryin chamber at distributed points in the height of the latter, and means for permit- Ling free air escape from said drying cham- 5. 'A drier having, incombination, a heating element comprising apipe system in which the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such heating element is contained, provided at its .upper endwith an inlet for the material to be treated and at its lower end with a trough into which the material is discharged; a rotar valve device controlling the entrance to sue trough, and a conveyor in thetrough to drive the material therefrom.

6. A drier having, in combination, a heating. element comprising a pipe system in which the heatin' medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such heating element is contained provided at the upper end with an inlet for the material to be treated and at the lower end with a discharge passage; a rotary valve which conwhich the heating me ium is suptrols the discharge of the material through such assage; means for rotating the same and tion. I

7. A drier having, in combination, a heating element comprising a pipe system in which the heating medium circulates a drying chamber within which such heating medium is contained; a supply feeding device for delivering the material intothe chamber at the upper end, said chamber having a discharge passage at the lower or regulating the speed of such rota- I end; a rotary valve. for controlling the discharge of the material throu h such passage; ,means for rotating sutili valve and means for regulating the speed of rotation relatively to that of the supply feeding device. 8. A drier having, in combination, a heating element comprising a pipe system in which the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such heating element is contained, provided at its upper end with an inlet' for the material to be treated and at. its lower end with a discharge passage; a vvalve device for controllln the discharge of the material throng ing a dryin medium into the heating chamber, the wa l-of the latter being .apertured for discharging such medium into the dryingchamber at points distributed throughout the height, and means for permitting the discharge. of air out of said drying chamber at points distributed throughout the height.

9-. A drier having a heating element comprising a pipe system'in which the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such heating element iscontained, provided at its upper end with a supply inlet for the material to be treated, and at its'lowenend adapted for the discharge of the material; means for discharging a drying medium within the material in said chamber'at distributed points in its height; meansfor permitting the escape of such. medium from said drying chamber at distributed points'in its height; a rotary valve device controlling the discharge of the material at the lower end of the drying chamber; stirrers extending longitudinally of the chamber and distributed through the upper portion thereof, and means for rotating the stirrers and the discharge-controlling device.

10. A drier having, in combination, a heating compartment comprising a pipe system in which the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such heating compartment is contained, provided at its upper end with a supply inletifor the material to be treated and adapted at its lower end for discharge of the material; means for'causin circulation of a drying medium from be 0w upward through the such passage; means for dischargheating com artment, saidf compartment ment comprising a pipe system in whic 1 the having limite communication with the, drying-chamber for the passage of such drying medium into the latter chamber at distributed. points in the height thereof; a rotary valve device which controls discharge of thematerial from the lower end of the drying chamber, and means for operating and regulatin such device.

11. A drieriaving a heatin element consisting of a pipe system in w ich the heating medium circulates; a reticulated jacket inclosing suchheating element and -forminga heating compartment; a drying chamber within which such heatin compartment is contained having means the downward advance through 'it of the" material treated; means for causing forced circulation of a dryin medium from below upward through the heating compartment, the reticulated jacket of'said com artment afl'ording distributed throughout t e height restricted communication of said compartment wit-h the drying chamber exterior thereto, and means for the escape of the drying mediu from the drying chamber.

12. A drier aving a heatin element consisting of a pipe system in w iich the heating medium circulates longitudinally. and progressively dbwnward; a drying chamber within which such heating element is contained having at the upper-end an inlet for the material to be treated and at the lower end means for discharge of such material; means for controlling the advance of the material through i said dryin chamber; means fqr agitating the materia during the initialpart of its advance.

13. A drier having a heating compartment comprising a pipe system in which the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such compartment is con tained; means for causing forced circulation of a drying medium from below upwa'rd through the heating compartment, t e latter having reticulated walls for vertically distributed communication with-the drying chamber and the dischar e of the dr ing medium into the latter, an deflecting p ates in the drying chamber for driving the de-' for deflecting the drying medium -tl1eretoward.

14. A drier having a heating com artheating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such compartment is contained; means for causing forced circula-' tion of a drying medium from below upward through the heating compartment and therefrom into the drying chamber, the latter having deflecting pates for director controlling clrculates, and comprisin ing the descending material inward and the ascending drying medium outward; a lura lity of rotary stirrers, one above anot er, extending longitudinally and rotating vertically in said drying chamber, and'means for rotating alternate stirrers in opposite direc'tions.

i 15. A drier having a heating com artment comprising a pipe system in whic the heating medium circulates; a drying chamber within which such compartment is con-.

tained; means for causing forced circulation of the drying medium upward through the heating compartment and therefrom into and through the drying chamber; a plurality-of rotary stirrers extending longitudinally in the drying chamber; means for revolving alternate stirrers in opposite directions, and inclined plates Outside the stirrers for deflecting the descending material inward.

16. A drier having a heating compartment, a'drying chamber within which such compartment is contained, said drying chamber aving inlet at the upper end and discharge at the lower end for the material treated; means for controlling the rate of advance of the material downward through said dr ing chamber comprising a rotary valve evice at the discharge thereof; a pawl and ratchet .for rotating such device a lever for operating the pawl; a rotating oscillating the lever, the connection of said arm with said lever bein adjustable along the lever to vary the fee ing stroke of the pawl. i 1

17 A drier comprising a chamber and a heating compartment therein; a supply trough at the to of the chamber extending longitudinally t ereof, discharging downwardly thereinto throughout its length; a chamber having a longitudinally extending trough at the bottom arranged for discharge at one end; spiral conveyers in the troughs respectively foradvancing the material lon itudinallythereof; means for rotating sai conveyers'; a rotary valve device for controlling the delivery of the material into the trough at the bottom; means for rotating such valve device connected with the means for rotating the spiral conveye'rs, and means shaft and a connectmg'rod therefrom for for adjusting the connections to vary the I 19. A drier and merns for causing circulation of air 'from below upward through said compartheating element which consists of a p1pe system in which the heating medium clrculates; a reticulated jacket forming a compartment inclosing at its upper part such heating element, and having atits lower part, devoid of heating -means, a drying chamber within which such compartment is contained, said chamber being provided Wlth. means for controlling the downward advance through the Patent Oflice.

[sEAn] aving, 1n combination, a-

Signed and sealed this 14th day of December, A. D., 1909.-

it of the material treated, and means for causin forced circulation of airfrom below upwar through said compartment, the reticulated-jacket of said compartment afl'ordi'ng, distributed throughout the height, restricted communication of sald com artment with the drying chamber exterior t ereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at'Chicago, I1l1no1s,-th1s 17th day of November, 1908.

CHARLES E. GEIGER.

In the presence of- M. GERTRUDE ADY, JULIA S. ABBorr.

It is hereby certified that the name of the last-mentioned assignee in Letters Patent No. 940,144, granted November 16, 1909,-upon the application of Charles Geiger, of Louisville, Kentucky, for an improvement in Driers was erroneously written and printed G. Walker Fiske, whereas said name should have been written and printed G. Wizlter E'ske; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this c 'orrection therein that the same may conform the record of the case in:

o. c. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Batman.

,. I 19. A drier and merns for causing circulation of air 'from below upward through said compartheating element which consists of a p1pe system in which the heating medium clrculates; a reticulated jacket forming a compartment inclosing at its upper part such heating element, and having atits lower part, devoid of heating -means, a drying chamber within which such compartment is contained, said chamber being provided Wlth. means for controlling the downward advance through the Patent Oflice.

[sEAn] aving, 1n combination, a-

Signed and sealed this 14th day of December, A. D., 1909.-

it of the material treated, and means for causin forced circulation of airfrom below upwar through said compartment, the reticulated-jacket of said compartment afl'ordi'ng, distributed throughout the height, restricted communication of sald com artment with the drying chamber exterior t ereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at'Chicago, I1l1no1s,-th1s 17th day of November, 1908.

CHARLES E. GEIGER.

In the presence of- M. GERTRUDE ADY, JULIA S. ABBorr.

It is hereby certified that the name of the last-mentioned assignee in Letters Patent No. 940,144, granted November 16, 1909,-upon the application of Charles Geiger, of Louisville, Kentucky, for an improvement in Driers was erroneously written and printed G. Walker Fiske, whereas said name should have been written and printed G. Wizlter E'ske; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this c 'orrection therein that the same may conform the record of the case in:

o. c. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Batman.

Correction in Letters Patent No.

It is hereby certified that the name of the lastent No. 940,144, granted November 16, 1909, u Geiger, of Louisville, Kentucky,

G. Walker Fiske, whereas Walter R'ske;

fi Written and printed i ten and printed G. i

l i F i the Patent Oflice.

[SEAL] for an improvement in Driers and that the said Letters mentioned assignee in Letters Patpon the application of Charles was erroneously have been writsaid name should Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in Signed and sealed this 14th day of December, A. D., 1 909.

O. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

